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Using ChatGPT to Find and Hire Teachers: A Guide for K-12 Schools

Written by Beth Owen | March 1, 2024

When it comes to recruiting and hiring top educators, there is a long list of obstacles that every school faces. At the top are the most obvious: the need for high-quality job descriptions and strategies for reaching prospective educators. Less obvious, however, is the time and energy required to overcome these articles.

Luckily, the process of creating talent acquisition collateral, like vacancies and emails, can be expedited with the help of artificially intelligent language generators like ChatGPT. 

In this article, we’ll explore how schools can use ChatGPT to streamline their recruiting and hiring efforts, and provide examples of the content it can create.

Content:

 

What is ChatGPT?

In a sentence, ChatGPT is a natural language generator powered by artificial intelligence (AI), designed to create written content from user-provided prompts. Put far more simply, ChatGPT is a tool that can write like a human — enabling users to expedite projects by simply teaching and prompting it.

In practice, the AI tool operates a lot like text messaging a friend, but instead of making dinner plans it generates content that you ask for. By providing the tool with more information and prompting it with more specific commands, it will in turn produce more personalized content.

Overall, ChatGPT offers a way for schools to expedite their content creation processes across the board, including for the purpose of hiring and recruiting top teachers.

 

The Benefits of ChatGPT for Schools

Between addressing the mundanity of writing job descriptions to optimizing engagement and reach, ChatGPT offers a myriad of benefits for schools when it comes to talent acquisition. At the top of that list are the following:

  • Greater Efficiency: With ChatGPT, schools can write vacancies, emails, social posts, and more within seconds, enabling admins to prioritize other responsibilities.
  • Improved Quality: Between its previous training and user-provided information, ChatGPT can generate high-quality content that meets the expectations of today’s top educators.
  • Candidate Engagement: Using the information provided by admins, ChatGPT can generate engaging and personalized communications that can help attract top talent and build more positive relationships with prospects

Through just these three benefits, it is obvious that ChatGPT provides schools with the ability to quickly produce high quality, engaging collateral designed to attract top prospective teachers.

 

7 Ways Schools Can Use ChatGPT  to Improve Teacher Recruitment

When it comes to generating written content, there is hardly anything that ChatGPT cannot do with the right training, information, and prompts. 

In this section we will overview seven different pieces of content that schools can use ChatGPT to produce to improve their talent acquisition efforts. With each piece of content, we will share an example of a ChatGPT output, as well as our initial input.

1. Vacancy Postings

Without question, a well written vacancy posting is essential for finding and hiring top talent.

Naturally, schools can use ChatGPT to write clear and compelling job descriptions that accurately reflect the responsibilities and qualifications of the role they’re looking to fill. The process is quite simple: simply “train” ChatGPT by providing examples of similar job descriptions, the details of the vacancy that needs to be filled, and then ask ChatGPT to generate a new posting.

Within seconds, ChatGPT will provide a job description using the information it was given. What happens if it’s not what you’re looking for? Simply prompt ChatGPT to make the changes you want — or simply edit it yourself!

Below is an example of a job description written by ChatGPT, which required a sample vacancy posting, the position details, and the school’s relevant information (mission, philosophy, etc.).


Example of a ChatGPT-Generated Vacancy Posting

Searchality Prompt

“We are a U.S.-based private high school called Searchality High School. We are seeking to hire a high school math teacher. Generate a job description for this role based on the mission, philosophy of education, and position details that follow…”

Note: Additional info not included in this sample

ChatGPT Output

Job Title: High School Math Teacher


Introduction:


Are you an enthusiastic and dedicated high school math teacher eager to make a meaningful impact on students' lives? Join the vibrant community at Searchality High School, where education is more than just a lesson plan—it's a transformative journey. At Searchality, we're committed to fostering an inclusive learning environment that celebrates individuality, promotes critical thinking, and equips students for success in a dynamic global society. As a High School Math Teacher, your role is pivotal in shaping the educational experience, fostering a love for learning, and instilling values that extend beyond textbooks. If you're ready to bring your expertise and enthusiasm to a community dedicated to excellence, innovation, and holistic student development, Searchality High School invites you to be a part of our exciting journey.

Position Details:

Location:

Searchality High School, Jersey City, N.J., United States

Start Date:

As soon as possible.

Position Requirements:

  • Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree
  • Certifications: CEAS; Praxis II test
  • Minimum Experience: 6 years
  • Curriculum Experience: Advanced Placement
  • Minimum Experience in Advanced Placement: 2 years
  • Right to Work in the U.S: Required
  • Position Type: Permanent
  • Employment Type: Full-Time

Key Responsibilities:

Develop and implement engaging lesson plans in high school mathematics, infusing our commitment to individualized learning and fostering ownership in students' educational journeys.
Cultivate an inclusive and supportive learning environment that addresses diverse needs, integrating social, emotional, and physical well-being into the educational experience.
Utilize innovative teaching methods to enhance critical thinking and creativity in problem-solving, aligning with our commitment to holistic development.
Implement the Advanced Placement curriculum, offering students a challenging and enriching educational experience grounded in our principles of global citizenship.
Collaborate effectively with colleagues, students, parents, and the broader community to create a supportive and enriching educational environment, embracing our philosophy of a collaborative community.
Demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement by staying abreast of educational research and best practices, contributing to the ongoing enhancement of the school's educational programs.

What We Offer:

  • Salary: $50,000 - $60,000
  • Contract Days: 180
  • Non-Contract Days: 10
  • Benefits:
    - Healthcare Insurance: Anthem
    - Pension Contribution: Matching

How to Apply:


Visit our website at [YourSchoolWebsiteLink] to submit your application. Join us in creating an extraordinary educational experience that sets the foundation for a lifetime of learning and success. Searchality High School looks forward to welcoming passionate educators to our team. Apply now and be a part of a community that believes in the transformative power of education.

2. Promotional Emails

As you have probably experienced, a well-written vacancy is only effective if it finds the right audience! Like any other industry, schools can (and should) use email to inform potential prospects of their openings.

As expected, ChatGPT can be used to produce emails for promoting vacancies. To do so, admins need to simply provide information about the position, prompt it to write an email, and then use subsequent prompts to finetune the message.

As a pro-tip, we recommend providing the AI tool with not just your written job description, but previous promotional emails your school has written so ChatGPT can mirror your tone, cadence, and word choice.

Below is an example of a promotional email written by ChatGPT, using our job description from above.

Example of a ChatGPT Generated Promotional Emails

Searchality Prompt

Generate an email promoting this job opening that we can send to our network of teachers and staff.

ChatGPT Output

Subject: Exciting Opportunity - High School Math Teacher Position

Dear [Recipient's Name],

We hope this message finds you well. Searchality High School is seeking a dynamic High School Math Teacher to join our dedicated team in Jersey City, N.J.

Position Highlights:

  • Engaging teaching in high school mathematics
  • Emphasis on individualized learning
  • Integration of well-being into education
  • Implementation of Advanced Placement curriculum
  • Collaborative and enriching educational environment

What We Offer:

  • Competitive salary: $50,000 - $60,000
  • 180 contract days, 10 non-contract days
  • Healthcare insurance (Anthem) and matching pension contribution

How to Apply:

If you're ready to make a positive impact and be part of an exceptional educational community, apply on our website at [YourSchoolWebsiteLink].

Application Deadline: [Include Deadline, if applicable]

Thank you for considering this opportunity. We look forward to welcoming passionate educators to our team.

Best regards,

[Your Name]
[Your Position]
Searchality High School

[Your Contact Information]

3. Social Media Posts


As we covered in a previous blog, social media can also be a great tool for schools to promote their open vacancies!

Luckily, with ChatGPT, you can craft memorable and shareable posts in just seconds. Along with providing details about the vacancy, you can also ask the AI tool to craft your message to a specific social media outlet — ensuring your post maximizes its engagement potential. 

For example, if you instruct ChatGPT to write for Facebook, your post will have a more casual and inviting tone that’s consistent with its users’ expectation; alternatively, a post for LinkedIn may be a bit more dry and informative. 

Beyond just tone, ChatGPT can also create effective calls to action (CTAs) to invite people to engage with your job description. Because your school’s goal is to funnel social media users to your vacancy’s application, it is vital to ensure it is a part of your post.

Below are three social media posts written by ChatGPT using our job description from above.

Example of a ChatGPT Generated Social Media Post
Prompt: 
Searchality Prompt
Generate three social media posts to promote this job on Facebook and LinkedIn. The posts should make it possible for users to share the posts with their networks. The calls to action (CTA) are to share the post and to visit our website for more details.
ChatGPT Output 1

🌟 Exciting Opportunity at Searchality High School! 🌟 We're looking for a passionate Math Teacher to join our dynamic team. If you or someone you know is dedicated to fostering a love for learning, share this post and visit our website for more details. Let's inspire the next generation together! #Education #MathTeacher #JobOpportunity [Link to Job Description]

ChatGPT Output 2

🚀 Join Us at Searchality High School! 🚀 We're hiring a Math Teacher who shares our passion for individualized learning and holistic development. Know someone perfect for the role? Share this post and encourage them to visit our website for all the details. Together, let's make a positive impact in education! #Hiring #MathEducation #SearchalityHighSchool [Link to Job Description]

ChatGPT Output 3

🎓 Calling All Math Teachers! 🎓 Searchality High School is on the lookout for a talented individual to join our team. If you're ready to be part of an inclusive learning community, share this post with your network. Visit our website for the complete job description and application details. Let's create a brighter future together! #MathTeacher #JoinOurTeam #SearchalityOpportunity [Link to Job Description]

 

4. Social Media Hashtags

On social media, “hashtags” are used to group similar messages together to help their target audience find them. Used by nearly every outlet, they are a vital part of growing a social media post’s visibility.

To further boost your vacancy’s reach on social media platforms, we recommend adding hashtags to your social media posts as well. 

Not a digital marketer? Don’t worry! ChatGPT can easily craft them for you. Simply prompt it to create hashtags that are relevant to your audience (for example, K-12 teachers) and let it do the rest.

Below are ten hashtags written by ChatGPT.

Example of a ChatGPT Generated Social Media Hashtags
Searchality Prompt
Generate a list of the top 10 hashtags for Facebook that are relevant to K-12 education, independent schools, and job-seeking teachers.
ChatGPT Output

#K12Education
#IndependentSchools
#EducationJobs
#TeachingOpportunities
#EduCareers
#TeacherHiring
#SchoolJobs
#EduCommunity
#TeacherLife
#IndependentSchoolJobs

 

5. Rejection Emails

Of course, there are more steps to the talent acquisition process than just getting teachers to apply. While no one enjoys receiving a rejection email, they are a necessary part of finding and hiring educators.

Thankfully, ChatGPT can write those as well.

Like other content, the tone of a rejection email will be influenced by the information and prompt you provide ChatGPT. Naturally, we recommend providing information about the vacancy, as well as a sample of a previous rejection letter. You can even include the recipient's name and notes from their interview.

Below is an example of a rejection email generated by ChatGPT, written in a professional tone.


Example of a ChatGPT Generated Rejection Email 
Searchality Prompt
Write a rejection email to Maurice Beltramini, who applied for that job. We find that they do not meet our experience requirement, despite an excellent interview. We will be going with another candidate but will keep them in our database if something else comes up that is more suitable for them.
ChatGPT Output

Subject: Update on Your Application with Searchality High School

Dear Maurice Beltramini,

I hope this message finds you well. Thank you for your interest in the Math Teacher position at Searchality High School and for the time you dedicated to the interview process.

After careful consideration, we regret to inform you that we have chosen to move forward with another candidate for this particular role. While we were impressed with your interview and appreciate your enthusiasm for joining our team, we have decided to pursue a candidate whose experience more closely aligns with our current needs.
We want to express our gratitude for your interest in Searchality High School. Your qualifications and interview performance were commendable, and we believe your skills would be a valuable asset in the right role.

Please note that we will keep your application in our database, and should a more suitable opportunity arise in the future, we will certainly consider you. We encourage you to stay connected with Searchality High School for potential future opportunities.

Thank you again for your understanding and interest in being a part of our educational community. We wish you the very best in your continued career endeavors.

Warm regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
Searchality High School

 

6. Acceptance Emails

Thankfully, not all emails have to be rejection emails!

While sharing good news is always exciting, it still takes time to write an acceptance email. As you could expect, ChatGPT can handle that for you too!

Similar to the rejection email, all ChatGPT needs is information about the applicant, their interview, and the next steps of the hiring process. Like other materials, you can even offer previous emails to make sure it matches the warm and inviting tone you’d like to convey!

Below is an example of an acceptance email generated by ChatGPT, written in a professional tone.

Example of a ChatGPT-Generated Acceptance Email 
Searchality Prompt
Generate an acceptance email to Hiam Al Azar, an applicant for the same role. We will be contacting her by telephone in the next 48 hours to set up a meeting time to go over the offer.
ChatGPT Output

Subject: Congratulations! Welcome to Searchality High School

Dear Hiam Al Azar,
I am delighted to extend my warmest congratulations on behalf of Searchality High School! After careful consideration, we are thrilled to offer you the position of Math Teacher.

Your impressive qualifications, thoughtful responses during the interview process, and passion for education truly stood out. We believe that your expertise will contribute significantly to our dynamic learning environment.

In the next 48 hours, we will contact you by telephone to discuss the details of the offer, including the terms of the agreement and the next steps in the onboarding process. We are eager to welcome you to our team and look forward to the positive impact we know you will make on our students.

Once again, congratulations on this well-deserved opportunity! We are excited about the journey ahead and the contributions you will bring to Searchality High School.

Warm regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
Searchality High School

7. Additional Promotional Materials

Of course, social media posts and emails are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to promoting a vacancy. Depending on your school’s audience and resources, you may want to create graphics, ad copy, and more to increase the visibility of your opening.

While ChatGPT cannot do every part of the marketing process, it can certainly put together one-liners and elevator pitches that your school can use in whatever medium you want.

Below are five examples of short-form promotional copy, generated by ChatGPT.

Example of a ChatGPT Generated Promotional Copy
Searchality Prompt
Generate 5 one- or two-liners that include something along the lines of "we're hiring!"
ChatGPT Output
  • Passionate about education? So are we! Join Searchality High School – where impact begins, and we're hiring!
  • Ready to make a difference? Explore teaching opportunities with us at Searchality High School. We're hiring dedicated educators like you!
  • Elevate your teaching career with us! Searchality High School is hiring, and your next chapter starts here.
  • Inspire, Innovate, and Influence! If you're a dedicated educator, we want you on our team. Yes, we're hiring!
  • Dreaming of a fulfilling teaching career? Your dream job is just a click away – we're hiring at Searchality High School!

 

Considerations & Limitations

While an incredible tool, ChatGPT is still flawed and limited in certain areas — largely due to the nature of natural language generators. As a result, it’s important to keep in mind that, while convenient, your school cannot rely on the AI tool to completely automate tasks for talent acquisition.

In this section, we highlight some key considerations and limitations with respect to ChatGPT’s capabilities.

Formatting of Content

If you have tried using ChatGPT, you may have noticed that it is far closer to a chatbox than a Word document. As such, it is not designed to properly format content, especially outside of its interface.

For schools, this means that there will still be some manual work that cannot be avoided — job descriptions will still have to be formatted to fit templates, emails may need to have bullet points added, etc.

As a rule of thumb, we recommend framing ChatGPT as a writing assistant, not an end-all-be-all content creator. Of course, there are still alternatives that can streamline the formatting of vacancies and other materials, including Searchality.


Accuracy of Information

Although it is certainly knowledgeable, ChatGPT is no more trustworthy than a regular person on the street. While it was trained with millions of materials, it is, at the end of the day, a language processor — it simply orders words to form sentences, using the patterns it learned from other materials.

As a result, your school should make sure to double-check all information before distributing a piece of content. Whether it's asked to talk about your school or Civil War history, there is always a risk that the AI tool may write convincing, but still fabricated facts.

Reading the web

Importantly, ChatGPT 3.5 is not designed to read content. Currently, it cannot be instructed to browse the web and pull information.

Instead, the AI tool can only learn by having users input information through the program’s interface. Perhaps one day it will be able to work more autonomously, but for now get ready to press copy and paste!

Generating lists of people

Similarly, ChatGPT cannot access real-time data, meaning it cannot currently create lists of prospective teachers to share your vacancies with.

Instead, we recommend using online platforms to network with other educators, as well as to share your openings directly. Along with LinkedIn, Facebook groups, and job boards, recruitment platforms like Searchality offer tools to easily connect with ideal candidates.

 

Moving Forward

Overall, ChatGPT offers ample opportunities for schools to streamline the recruitment process, attract qualified candidates, and open up time for more admins to spend on other tasks. From writing job descriptions to crafting promotional materials, the tool can be used to efficiently create the materials necessary for filling vacancies with quality educators.

Still, its limitations mean that schools need more than just an AI writer to enhance their recruitment efforts.

Designed specifically for K-12 education, Searchality provides schools with the tools necessary for finding and hiring their ideal teaching candidates in the digital age. In addition to standard recruitment tools, our platform helps schools streamline their talent search by automating typical recruitment tasks, such as creating vacancy postings, filtering qualified candidates, and notifying both successful and unsuccessful applicants. Even better, Searchality’s transparent, flat-rate pricing ensures all schools are able to attract the best candidates possible — regardless of financial barriers.

Ready to find out how Searchality can transform your talent search? To get in touch with our team, click here.. We look forward to meeting you!